The present invention relates generally to a technique for a printing system with an operating system and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method which permits a print service application to perform input/output operations on files whose formats necessarily differ from that of operating system of the printing system.
Personal computers have become commonplace on the desks of most office workers. Typically, much of the work product of such computers is intended to be transformed into hardcopy via a printer using digital imaging technology. A typical printer configuration for this purpose comprises a dedicated printer coupled to the personal computer ("PC"). However, printers used for this purpose are typically small laser printers which have limited functions and features such as a limited tray capacity which restricts the number and types of copy sheets that can be used to make prints on, or which do not have a finishing capability, etc. More importantly small laser printers also typically handle only one page description language.
On the other hand, larger high speed laser printers normally have a great deal of finishing and copy sheet capability which would allow the PC user to have, for example, custom printing and finishing of his work product, an option which for many PC users would be desirable. In practice, the PCs can be used advantageously with a network printing system of the type combining a number of client inputs, such as the PCs, or the like, and one or more printer outputs. In one example of such network printing systems, a client at one of the inputs sends electronic documents that comprise a job over a local area network (LAN) to one of the printers selected for printing the job. In particular, LANs provide a means by which users running dedicated processors are able to share resources such as printers, file servers and scanners. Integration of shared resources has been a problem addressed by LAN managers. LAN managers have made different network protocols such as Ethernet and Token Ring transparent to devices running different network protocols. LANs also have a variety of print drivers emitting different page description languages (PDLs), which are directed to specific printer devices.
The following patents include examples of systems noting a network, server and printer [usually for shared users' remote terminals]:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,895 Patentee(s): Vieri et al. Issued: Nov. 18, 1975 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,088 Patentee(s): Vieri et al. Issued: May 18, 1976 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,278 Patentee(s): Herzog et al. Issued: Mar. 17, 1987 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,136 Patentee(s): Beard et al. Issued: Feb. 6, 1990 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,036 Patentee(s): Sandman Jr. et al. Issued: Jun. 26, 1990 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,507 Patentee(s): Beard et al. Issued: Jul. 3, 1990 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,345 Patentee(s): Paradise et al. Issued: Aug. 7, 1990 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,008,853 Patentee(s): Bly et al. Issued: Apr. 16, 1991 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,355 Patentee(s): Nomura Issued: May 12, 1992 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,347 Patentee(s): Pajak et al. Issued: Nov. 12, 1991 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,412 Patentee(s): Henderson Jr. et al. Issued: Dec. 10, 1991 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,517 Patentee(s): Beard et al. Issued: May 12, 1992 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,577 Patentee(s): Mackey et al. Issued: Oct. 6, 1992 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,048 Patentee(s): Parsons et al. Issued: Jul. 21, 1992 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,340 Patentee(s): Prokop et al. Issued: Dec. 8, 1992 PA1 Charles LeComte "The Xerox DocuTech.RTM. Production Publisher" BIS CAP International, Newtonville, Mass. October 1990 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,071 Patentee(s) Burton Issued: Jul. 27, 1971 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,244 Patentee(s): Andrews et al. Issued Nov. 18, 1986 PA1 Cheryl E. Currid and Craig A. Gillett "Mastering Novell.RTM. Netware.RTM." SYBEX, Inc., Alameda, Calif. 1990 PA1 PostScript.RTM. Language Reference Manual Second Edition Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. 1990 PA1 PCL 5 Printer Language Technical Reference Manual First Edition Hewlett Packard Co. 1990 PA1 Harrington, S. J. and Buckley, R. R. Interpress: The Source Book Simon & Schuster, Inc. New York, N.Y. 1988
Other examples of printer controls include:
Now allowed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/591,324
By way of further, early, background, the concept of various scanned paper or electronic imaging transmission input devices selectably electronically interfaced or networked to a flexible modular printer was disclosed in the following patents:
Xerox.RTM. Corporation presently is marketing a server for a printing apparatus, the server being referred to as the DocuTech.RTM. Network Server ("DocuTech Network Server" is a trademark of Xerox Corp.) This server is adapted to translate a job written in a first PDL, such as PS or HP-PCL, into a second PDL, such as Interpress, for printing of the job on a Xerox.RTM. compatible printing apparatus. At the heart of the server are two interpreters, one of which is adapted to translate PS and the other of which is adapted to translate PCL. Each interpreter contains software, written by either Adobe.RTM. Systems Inc. or Peerless.RTM. Corp. to facilitate the translation process. Additionally, Eastman Kodak produces a network printing system, known as "LionHeart.TM.", which employs a print server. Finally, the following reference is of interest in the network systems area:
A PDL is a method of describing printed page(s) in a printer independent format. A PDL establishes an interface between a print driver or client and a print server or printer. The following references are pertinent to the area of page description languages:
All of the pertinent portions of the above-cited references are incorporated herein.
As is noted in art cited above, the control of, and software for, printers in a system or network environment can be in the printer itself. Commonly, however, a major part of the system printer integration software operation may be in the print server connected into the system, (typically a stand alone but dedicated small computer or PC). Another name for or type of unit providing print server capability or functions is a "shared interface unit".
Printers (and printer controllers or servers) are also sometimes referred to as "shared resources" in a networked environment. The server typically functions as a "spooler" to buffer the jobs that are sent to it, as well as a page description language (PDL) "decomposer", for converting the PDL files (e.g., "Interpress.TM." or "PostScript".RTM.) to bitmapped files for application to the printer.
Another example of an established commercial integral system, with a shared printer and system server, comprises the Xerox Corporation "VP Local Laser Printing" software application package, which, together with the Xerox "4045" (or other) Laser Copier/Printer (CP), the "6085" "Professional Computer System" using Xerox Corporation "ViewPoint" or "GlobalView.RTM." software and a "local printer [print service] Option" kit, comprises the "Documenter" system. The laser printer prints text and graphics with high quality resolution on a variety of paper sizes and special papers, including transparencies, labels, and envelopes. [When equipped with the optional copier feature, the "4045" CP also alternatively provides quick copies, functioning as a copier.] Printing occurs as a background process, enabling system users to continue with other desktop activities at their terminals. VP Local Laser Printing software can be loaded at a networked, remote, or stand alone Xerox "6085" Professional Computer System (workstation).
The even earlier Xerox Corporation "8000" "Xerox Network Services Product Descriptions" text further describes other commercially available Xerox Corporation electronic document printing systems. It notes that such document systems can support the capabilities of remote workstations, PC terminals, and facsimile devices, and connect them for shared use of an electronic printer, usually via a print server and/or shared user interface formatting print service. The software system can also control local print job queue management, etc. The print service will accept a print job from any device with access to the network which can be formatted or reformatted to the Xerox Interpress.TM. [or other such electronic printing standard or printing protocol]. It allows the client to submit a printing job, including an Interpress.TM. or other such standard master and a number of job parameters, such as paper size, number of copies, and device-specific information. The printing protocol also allows the client to query the print service regarding the status of the job, for user notification.
The electronic printing standard includes a specific set of instructions for printing in a standard for representing documents digitally. The Interpress.TM. standard for representing printed pages is already supported by a wide range of Xerox Corporation and other products. The print service understands and processes Interpress.TM. instructions received from a workstation, transforming them into a format understood by the printer. The Interpress.TM. standard is comprehensive; it can represent any images that can be applied to paper (including complex graphics) and a wide variety of font styles and characters. Each page of an "Interpress.TM." master can be interpreted independently of others. This allows a user to easily produce new masters from existing ones and allows the printer to selectively print pages from any master it receives.
Although a "formatting print service" may not have a printer directly attached, it can perform much the same as a print service that does. The typical principal difference is the transferring of an Interpress.TM. master into an internal format understood by the printer. The formatting print service creates a secondary Interpress.TM. master which accurately represents the same image but in a subset of Interpress.TM. which can be directly processed by the designated or target printer. This secondary Interpress.TM. master is then transmitted to the formatting print service's target printer for processing and printing.
Workstations on the network with conversion software can interact with the print service. This software runs automatically when users request that a document be printed. It converts the document format used by the workstation into an Interpress.TM. master which is transmitted to the print service. This transfer is implemented by a network queuing subsystem which implements the printing protocol and interfaces with an internal print queue for the tracking of the Interpress.TM. master. The internal print queue facilitates the movement of documents through the various stages of processing. The queue can hold a large number of documents, which are processed in the order received, or can be reprioritized. Generally, a print job is available in the printer's output tray within minutes after the user initiates the print request. The user can see the status of a print job and its place in the queue by making a request through the print server terminal or at the workstation. The resulting display will tell the user whether the job is being queued, formatted or printed. Once the document has been printed, the print service can delete the Interpress.TM. master.
The Interpress.TM. master is also accompanied by properties and options which specify document name, user name, and creation date. The print service interprets the master and then directs the printer during the printing process. This process involves several stages: queuing, formatting, and either printing, transmitting (in the case of facsimile print service) or forwarding to another print service (in the case of the formatting print service). During the printing or Fax transmission stage, messages may be generated to report any problems with the printer, such as a need to replenish the paper supply.
Different workstations can access the print service in different ways. To print a document, desirably the user can simply "copy" or "move" the document, with a mouse click or other command, to a printer icon on the workstation desktop, and set the displayed printing options, as on Xerox Corporation workstations. From other workstations such as the IBM PC's, the user may need to select menu items or type in commands to obtain access. The workstation selectable print options can include the number of copies, selected pages to be printed, paper size, image orientation, a choice of printers, and phone numbers when sending to a facsimile device. In addition, the option sheet allows the user to specify whether to delete the Interpress.TM. or other master, or retain it at the workstation desktop. Already print-formatted or master documents may be transmitted to the printer directly, eliminating the need to repeat the conversion or decomposition process if another copy of the document is desired. If saved, an Interpress.TM. master can be stored at the file service or even mailed to one or more individuals via an electronic mail service.
Utilizing an inter-network routing service, users can transmit Interpress.TM. or other printing masters through a network and then across an internet, typically, via telephone lines, twisted pair wires, coaxial cables, microwaves, infrared, and/or other data links, allowing documents created in one location to be automatically routed to a print service and printer hundreds or even thousands of miles away, in seconds or minutes.
The above-mentioned DocuTech.TM. Network Server couples one or more workstations with a print server by way of a network operating system, such as Netware.RTM.. The print server preferably employs a print service software application which recognizes files having paths or file specifications written in a DOS.TM. format. It has been found, however, that the print service software application does not recognize non-DOS.TM. file specifications unless they are expressed in DOS.TM. format. It would be desirable to provide a print server, with a print service application which is adapted to recognize files that derive from both DOS.TM. and non-DOS.TM. based workstations.